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Atlas
Atlas was one of the twelve old line colonies and the capital of the Aries Sector. It was colonized by the North American Alliance in the late 23rd Solar Century. It grew to be one of the most populous of the colonies, hosting a population of 18 Billion at its peak. Geography and Climate Atlas had one large continent, two smaller continents, and three subcontinents. It had one large ocean and a number of gulfs and seas. Its polar regions were both part of continental landmasses and formed ice caps during planetary winters but were frequently ice-free during the summers. Atlas had a climate very similar to Earth’s, with variable tropical, temperate, and arctic zones. Its F-type sun was notably brighter than Earth’s G-type sun. History Following the standard model of discovery – exploration – colonization, Atlas was detected by telescopes in the lunar array in the 22nd century, mapped by an unmanned survey ship in the early 23rd Century, explored by an advanced exploration party, and then colonized. It had the happy fortune of being cleared for colonization just as advances in starflight technology coupled with unrest on Earth was about to spark a large exodus that led to nearly a third of Earth’s population departing for the new colony worlds. Atlas benefited from having an abundant resource base and extensive fertile lands for agricultural cultivation; enabling it to become self-sufficient rapidly. It also possessed a highly motivated immigrant population. It was at Atlas that the Mercantile Model of Second Wave Colonization originated. Under this model, investors financed the settlement of habitable worlds, and claimed a portion of the colony’s GDP as well as favorable terms for the import and export of goods to and from these colonies. Even a small share of an entire planet’s economy could make someone vastly wealthy. So it was with Atlas. This also led to the rapid development and advancement of the Aries Sector; nearly half of humanity’s second wave of colonies were founded in the Aries Sector. Atlas was the first colony to exceed Earth in population and wealth; an event which occurred early in the 28th Century. Atlas led the movement for Independence from Earth Rule. When the Outer Colonies began rebelling in the 29th Century, Atlas was able to deploy a large number of warships and troops to keep its colonial possessions in line. However, the costs of keeping rebellious colonies in line eventually grew beyond the ability of its taxpayers to tolerate. This was part of the Impetus for the formation of the Galactic Commonwealth, as a means to preserve the order that kept the Inner Colonies (and Earth) at the top of the Galactic Economic Food Chain. In the Aftermath of the rebellion that led to what would eventually become known as the First Crusade, Atlas adopted an aggressive foreign policy to preserve its sway over its sector. Atlas became notorious for involving itself in the affairs of other colonies, frequently sending its warships and mercenaries to help those in its favor hold power. Atlas became resented by many of the smaller colonies in the Aries Sector, as well as the Capricorn Sector. During the Second Crusade of the 30th Solar Century, Atlas was one of the major colonial powers (with Asha, Avalon, and Astra) to oppose the Terran Imperium. Its forces were instrumental in defeating Earth and establishing the independence of the 12 Inner Colonies once and for all. Atlas, in the next century, supported the war effort against the Red Committee with ships, weapons, and troops. However, by the start of the 33rd Century. Atlas was no longer the power it had been in centuries past. The population became increasingly stratified economically and socially. Most of Atlas’s wealth came from off-world investments; the wealthiest part of their society made their income managing that wealth. Below them was a middle-class consisting primarily of those who provided services to the wealthy and bureaucrats. At the bottom was a vast pool of underemployed people; as very little production was carried out on Atlas and with low skill jobs filled by robots, these people lacked skills or opportunity to move up the economic ladder. As long as its colonial possessions were dynamic and growing, Atlas could afford this social structure. But by the time period of the 34th Solar Century, Atlas was in a state of economic stagnation brought about by centuries of unchecked bureaucratic growth. The planet ceased accumulating wealth and spent the wealth it had accumulated; eventually being forced to acquire debt to maintain its military and social programs. When other colonies ceased extending it credit, Atlas sank into a steep decline it never completely recovered from. Problems worsened in the 35th Century when an illegitimate despot took power in the planetary capital and bankrupted the planet through waste and profligacy. Those with ambition and means left Atlas for other colonies, which over time produced an underclass with fewer skills and more inertia, living off welfare assistance derived from taxes on the upper and middle classes. Some resorted to crime, knowing that even if they were caught, exile to the Aries Sector Penal Colony of Ironside presented more opportunity than life in the slums of Atlas. The unproductive class outnumbered the middle and higher class by 6 to 1; enough to provide them consistent democratic majorities in Atlas’s Government. Taxes were raised ever higher to support higher levels of welfare benefits. The wealthy began leaving the planet, and with fewer wealthy with less disposable income, more and more of the middle class fell into the lower class. By the start of the 36th Century, Atlas underwent complete economic and social collapse. For a time, the other planets in the Sector and other Commonwealth worlds provided aid to Atlas’s remaining impoverished citizens, but their charity eventually ran out. Between the 35th and 66th Centuries, Atlas became a dystopian wasteland of gangs, violence and decay. Several anti-religious movements arose from the ruins of Atlas, including ‘The End of Tears,’ ‘The Reasonable Heresy,’ and ‘The Anti-Hate Brigade.’ Blaming the planet’s problems on religion and promising a restoration to glory, these movements harnessed the anger and resentment of the impoverished people of Atlas. These groups took control of the remains of Atlas’s government and formed an authoritarian regime (The Forward Unity) that set about rebuilding the planet. Millions of dissidents were killed as The Forward Unity purged the population of dissidents. The intent was to transform Atlas into a model of what a world built purely on science, reason, and unity could accomplish. Atlas’s dilapidated military forces were transformed into a potent fighting force that supported the Unholy (anti-religious forces) in the Sixth Crusade. Atlas became the primary base for Unholy operations throughout the Orion Quadrant. In the Seventh Crusade, the planet’s anti-religious totalitarian leadership spawned the superhuman entities that came to be known as the Dark Overlords. In the Eighth Crusade during the 28th Solar Century, Atlas was the seat of power for the Dark Overlord Apollyon. His realm encompassed the whole of the Aries Sector and many worlds in the Cancer and Pisces Sectors. Apollyon commanded a fleet of world-destroying megaships, and used them to keep the worlds under his rule in line; destroying several worlds as examples of his power. Agents of the Christian Fleet infiltrated his ranks and sacrificed themselves to destroy most of the planet-killers. The 41st Century Crusade to defeat the Overlord Apollyon was a long and bloody campaign. When it became clear defeat was imminent, Apollyon departed Atlas on one of his few remaining planet-killing ships. His ship was forced into a black hole by a fleet under the command of Admiral Jephthah Ellis of King James colony. After half a Millennium of despotic, totalitarian rule, Atlas had become a world with a decrepit physical infrastructure and a population of cowed, dependent, easily-led people. Liberated from the Dark Overlord, they replaced him with a human president who was notably less despotic. Eventually, following the example of Alpha colony, the people put in place a ruling council of artificial intelligences (AIs). Under the direction of the AI’s, Atlas was substantially rebuilt during the Millennium of Peace that followed the end of the Crusades. Self-sufficiency eventually restored some of the planet’s prosperity, and leveled the extremes of wealth and poverty. There was still a large population of shiftless and unemployed persons, but with robots performing most tasks, there was little need for anyone to work. Those who wished to advance themselves had long since departed for other worlds, and those left behind were content to be the recipients of robot labor. Population declined to about half of its prewar peak. A Starlock was built near Atlas in the 45th Century and was christened Chandelier. Atlas was obliterated during the Tarmigan Assault in the 53rd Solar Century. Cities *New Gotham-Saratoga-Empire City Megaplex – an enormous city of nearly four billion people that covered the entire Eastern seaboard of Atlas’s largest continent. The NGSEC Megaplex was the commercial capital of the planet and the location for the Galactic Stock Exchange. *America City – America City was the second largest city on Atlas and served as its seat of government. *New Boston – Another Large City on the planet Atlas. *New Chicago – Another Large City on the planet Atlas. *New Vancouver – Another Large City on the planet Atlas. *New Havana – Another Large City on the planet Atlas that had the same name as a city on Proxima colony.